Category: preserves

It’s been so long away for me that writing this feels little foreign. I kinda forgot how to work the blog. The new version of WordPress is set up differently than the one I was using pre-absence and so it’s all I can do to remind myself to not automatically press “Publish” instead of “Save Draft.”

Oops. Just almost did that. Again. Gah.

Anywho, the thing here is that I have to get back into the loop. I’ve been gone way too long, and there’s things I’ve wanted to do. Crafts, projects, recipes, etc. But between being sick (by the way, thank you all so much for the lovely comments on my last post!) and now also planning my wedding (yes!), it’s been hard. As smarter of fact, let’s just forget that previous post. What a downer! Let’s get back to fun stuff.

I finally made something more than just frozen food and soup! And instead of easing myself in with something silly and so simple I could do it blindfolded, I went right in. Right back in. To: marmalade.

When (if ever) is it appropriate to quote Destiny’s Child when posting a jelly recipe? Just asking for a friend.

“I don’t think you’re ready for this jelly”: A few months ago, the folks at Woodchuck Hard Cider asked me to create some recipes with their ciders. They sent me a bunch of different ones to sample & create with, and when I got them it was so hot out I couldn’t even think of cooking. So, I made a cocktail. And it was delicious.

But now that it’s fall, and it’s apple-time, I started thinking about those other ciders. And I thought, “Why not make a hard cider jelly?” I did it with champagne, Guinness, and tea (twice! No- three times!), so why the hell not use a hard apple cider?

Retro-style? Salad oil? Lime pickles? What the hell is this?” That’s probably what you’re thinking reading this recipe. And I don’t blame you, really. But you should get the backstory before you think I’m totally insane.

Because lime pickles are totally a thing, and this is indeed a vintage- or “retro”- recipe.

A few months ago on a really rainy, chilly, gross Friday night, Jay & I stopped in to one of my favorite thrift stores. There wasn’t much to get. I was a little disappointed. Until he found a stack of 1960’s/1970’s McCall’s magazine cookbook supplements! SCORE!

I forget this from year to year, until I have some & I’m making jam & it splatters everywhere & it looks like I’ve been doing illegal surgeries in my kitchen sink.They’re so pretty though. So I forgive them their trespasses, for they know not what they do. And they’re summery, so it stands to reason I’m ready to start using them.

My photos weren’t as good back then… so if you click that link, bear with me.

I was really surprised back then at how easy it was. It was my foray into “jamming.” I had no prior homemade jamming experience at that point and it was definitely a pleasant one. And I was so proud of it. It thickened and came together so quickly, and there was no drama. In that sense it’s kind of like cranberry sauce- it just sort of thickens without any extra effort. It doesn’t have a naturally high pectin content but it still maintains a nice consistency. You can cook it down until it’s thicker, keep it loose or even add pectin if you like… depending on how you like your jams.

We’re in full-on spring mode now, right? The sun has been out & we’ve been gardening & sprucing up the outdoor areas. And of course there’s tons of sprouts growing in the yard! No more snow on the horizon.

One of the main things that makes me think of spring & summer is jam. Making it, canning it, baking with it. Last year I made a jammy version of strawberry shortcakes, so this year I thought I’d do something new with strawberry jam: a brioche-y type roll filled with it!

Like a jelly roll, but with jam, and individually sized. The dough is incredibly easy to make, the jam can be store-bought or homemade (homemade takes NO TIME at all), and they come together very simply.

Ohhh, Valentine’s Day is here. Time for hearts. Hearts everywhere. Heart-shaped everything! And of course, here that includes… cupcakes.

I go batty for holidays ’round these here parts, in case you didn’t know notice.

These particular little cupcakes are inspired by Linzer tarts, or Linzer tortes. In America, you low them as the cookies with a hole cut out of the top piece… its filled with a red or pink colored jam or jelly and dusted with confectioner’s sugar. However in Austria those are considered Linzer sablés (Linzer Augen or “linzer eyes”). They’re also a riff on the cupcakes I posted last year; which were chocolate cupcakes filled with pink frosting, all in a heart-shape.

There are a few ways of doing this neat little heart-shaped hole trick, but I just use the method I find easiest: I push the cutter down into the middle of the completely cooled (preferably refrigerated for a few hours) cupcake. After some wiggling, the heart-shaped piece should pop out when you remove the cookie cutter. Another way: cut the top of the cupcake off, add a layer of jam, then cut the hole out of the top and stick it back on.